Surely You Can't Be Serious by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker
There are specific demarcations in cinema. One of them is before and after Airplane. The style, the casting, the jokes, the references all combined in a way that had never been seen before. Its impact is still felt today.
This book takes you behind the scenes of the long road to the making of Airplane. The creators and directors of the movie share anecdotes from the movie, along with comments from many of the actors. In between, we learn where they came from, how they came together, and how their unique style of comedy was created.
Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, ZAZ for short, are all from Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin. As a fellow Wisconsinite and fellow UW-Madison alum, I was aware of the broad strokes of their story. This book goes far deeper and shares a lot more insight. From their shared sense of humor to the creation of the Kentucky Fried Theatre to their move to Los Angeles and dogged pursuit of their dream.
The story is told in an oral history style as ZAZ shares their recollections. Comments from some of the actors, particularly those like Peter Graves and Robert Stack who were known for their serious roles and really had no idea what kind of a movie they were making, at least initially, add to the pleasure. Additional comments from other actors as well as David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Hader, and many others underscore the influence this film had on a generation of comedians and filmmakers.
Even today, if you watch a trailer for Airplane, you might say, "Oh, they've put all the best jokes in the trailer." It's not true. The movie is simply stuffed with jokes from start to finish. There are so many steps along the way that can either be ascribed to luck or fate. From the unintentional taping of an obscure 50's movie, Zero Hour, which the movie spoofs, to a surprisingly strong padlock to running into the right people at the right time. The fight to find a studio with the vision to let them make this movie, let three unknown, inexperienced kids direct, and finding just enough of the right people who got what they were trying to do all underscore how unlikely it was for this movie to ever happen.
The book includes pictures from the film as well as some iconic behind-the-scenes photos. The close relationship between Zucker, Abrahamson, and Zucker continues to this day and their shared sense of humor comes through as they recount their story.
This book is a delight for anyone who loves the film, loves comedy, or loves filmmaking.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.
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